


Marked For Time

by fiveainley_ohmy



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Donna Ships It, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, secret santa prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2018-05-06 03:27:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5401277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fiveainley_ohmy/pseuds/fiveainley_ohmy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Last Of The Time Lords AU where the Master didn't die and traveled with the Doctor. Oh, and they're soulmates (with marks and everything). For nonexistenz as part of the 2015 DW Secret Santa.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Marked For Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nonexistenz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nonexistenz/gifts).



> For nonexistenz: I could not have gotten a better assignment. I LOVE Doctor/Master. The Fifth Doctor and Anthony Ainley's Master are my personal preference, but I also have an ongoing fic about the Ninth (and later on, the Tenth) Doctor and a fobwatched Simm!Master. Anyway, I decided on, I guess, a combo of your first and third prompts (I'm sorry, there's a little Martha, but the minimal amount, I swear). I wanted to make this special for you, but I'm sure this same prompt is out there somewhere, and written much better, but, I tried. So I hope you enjoy it. Either way, happy holidays.
> 
> -Catie (the-great-space-virgin)

It's just not the same for Time Lords. Martha wouldn't understand. Jack might, being so well traveled, but considering the ex-Time Agent's... _ahem_...personal feelings in the matter, the Doctor doubted he'd be very sympathetic.

Theta Sigma and Koschei's intertwined fates had been determined since the day they were loomed. There's a reason why Time Lords traditionally wear high collars: it's the mark. Gallifreyans are born with a marking on the back of their necks, to remain with them throughout all their lives, etched on the skin of every regeneration. Never changing, never fading. It's why the neck is such an erogenous area for Time Lords. A dignified, high born Time Lord is taught to hide his or her mark, to conceal the impression of vulnerable _need_ , for companionship, for intimacy, love. While at the Academy, Time Tots are strictly forbidden for revealing their marks to each other.

Of course, Theta and Koschei never followed rules. When their youthful, innocent feelings of romance were blossoming, they exposed to each other the very precious secret part of their identities a Time Lord is never supposed to reveal, apart from their real name. The young men were delighted to find that, yes, their marks matched. Plans were made, dreams were shared, oaths were sworn.

Then it all went wrong.

Koschei, over time, turned wicked and became the Master, while Theta grew up to be the cosmic wanderer known as the Doctor. They fought and they battled throughout the stars bitterly, time and time again, winning and losing and saving and betraying each other. Every time the Master was near, the Doctor could feel his mark singing to its partner, and he knew the Master felt the same, though neither would admit it. Neither one of them would ever back down from his stance or forgive the other.

And then came the Daleks' final execution of the Master. And then, the Time War. And the Doctor was alone.

Or so he thought.

As soon Professor Yana opened that fobwatch, the mark reappeared on his human skin, and the Doctor could hear it calling to him. He followed it to 21st century England, and had to watch in painful horror as the Master kissed another woman and terrorized his pet planet, for a whole year. Until brilliant Martha saved the day and they were able to undo the Master's evil deeds.

They were the only ones left. The Doctor only wanted to bring the Master along in his TARDIS, partially to make sure he didn't make trouble anymore, but also because, dammit, he'd _missed_ him. All those centuries before, the Doctor had ached for the Master, had wanted to forgive him and reconcile, but he just hadn't known where to begin. But now, now that it was just the two of them, he certainly wasn't going waste any time.

And now he was holding the Master, dying from a gunshot wound, in his arms, sobbing. "Regenerate, please, just regenerate," the Doctor pled.

The Master scoffed at him. "And spend the rest of my life with _you_?"

The Doctor's fingers skated up to the insignia on the back of the Master's neck, identical to his own, and traced over it delicately. The Master shivered involuntarily.

"You wanted to, once," the Doctor whispered.

The Master stared into his eyes, and the Doctor could see an infinity of thoughts rushing through that wonderful brain of his.

Finally, the Master closed his eyes. "Fine."

The Master's right hand glowed with Artron energy, and he raised it to settle over the bullet wound, healing himself. The Doctor unconsciously covered the Master's hand with his own.

After a moment, the Master opened his eyes once more. "There. Happy?"

"What?" The Doctor was taken off guard. "But you-you didn't...change!"

"Waste a regeneration on one silly little bullet?" The Master snorted. "As if. During the War-" Both Time Lords slightly winced at the mention. "-I was sanctioned to come up with a way for soldiers in the field to heal themselves without burning through their life forces in one day. I discovered that, with a bit of self-control, one can ration his regeneration energy to where he doesn't have to change, unless the situation is absolutely dire."

The Doctor licked his lips. "Well...well...that's wonderful!"

"Doctor," said Jack from across the room, still restraining Lucy. "Does this mean you're taking him with you?"

The Doctor looked from his old enemy to the immortal, then cleared his throat. "Yes," he said. "The Master has to stay with me. I have to keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't cause trouble."

Martha snorted surreptitiously. "Call this 'trouble'?" she muttered, looking around at all of Saxon's handiwork. Jack shushed her.

"Yes," the Doctor replied. "Come on. We've got to get him somewhere secure while I repair the TARDIS."

"I know just the place," said Jack, glaring at the Master as he took him by the arm and carefully hoisted him to his feet.

* * *

Eventually, the Doctor got the TARDIS back to normal and, after a fairly fond farewell to Martha and Jack, took the Master and headed off.

The Master glared at the other Time Lord from across the console. The Doctor pretended to be studying the controls, not looking him in the eye. "You know I'm just going to steal your ship," he said.

"Can't," said the Doctor distractedly. "Isomorphic controls."

The Master cursed under his breath. "So that's it, then? I'm just your prisoner?"

"No," said the Doctor quickly. The Master raised an eyebrow at him. "I...don't want you to think of it like that," the Doctor clarified.

"Oh, I shouldn't think of it like that?" said the Master mockingly. "Hmm, let's see, I'm stuck in your stupid little spaceship and I'm not allowed to leave. Sounds like imprisonment to me."

The Doctor sighed. He looked up at the Master, who had come around the side of the controls and was now standing next to him. "Master, you don't understand. The two of us...are the only Time Lords left-"

"And now you're afraid of being alone again," snapped the Master, "so you're forcing me to stay with you."

"It's not like that!"

"Yes, it is! You're pathetic, Doctor! You could never just be by yourself, always had to have someone there with you to listen to you, to drool over you, to adore you, like your stupid little humans. Well, I'm not one of them!" The Master stomped up the stairs and out of the console room.

The Doctor sighed unhappily. He raised his hand to the back of his neck and touched his mark lightly.

Out in the hallway, the Master stopped and did the same, at the exact same time, without either one of them realizing the other was doing it too.

* * *

To the Doctor's surprise, the Master and Donna got along not too horribly. It took Donna awhile to get over the fact that not only did the Master look exactly like Harold Saxon, the Master actually _was_ Harold Saxon, and that the charismatic politician had been an evil Time Lord all along. After that, she mostly just snickered about the Master's rather suggestive title.

"Doctor," said Donna one day. "That mark. On your neck. What is it?"

Donna wasn't the first companion of the Doctor's to ask about it, and she certainly wouldn't be the last. The Doctor didn't much like explaining it; it brought up too many painful memories. It was the main reason his fourth incarnation had taken up wearing a long woolly scarf to hide it from curious eyes.

In most cases, the Doctor could usually get away with saying, "It's just a birthmark. All Time Lords have one."

But this instance was different. "But the Master's got one too. It looks just like yours," said Donna. "Are they all the same?"

"No, no, actually, there's only two of every kind," said the Doctor, not meeting her eyes as he flicked a switch on the console.

Donna waited silently (for once) for an explanation.

The Doctor finally sighed and turned around to look at her. "Alright, fine, if you must know...two Time Lords-or Time Ladies-who have the same mark are...soulmates." He colored at the use of the silly word. It was the best word to use to make Donna understand, however.

Donna's eyebrows shot up. "Oh! So you and the Master..."

"Yeah," said the Doctor shortly, turning back to the controls. He could feel Donna's eyes staring at his mark.

"Ah, well," said Donna finally. "Makes sense. Always thought you were a bit happy. Do you and the Master-"

"No!" the Doctor exclaimed. "No, we...don't."

"Oh. Is it like some weird alien tentacle telepath stuff, then?"

" _Donna_!"

* * *

Life went on, as it does. The Master and the Doctor went about things, pointedly ignoring each other, and Donna sort of went back and forth between them as a tie.

Then came the incident on Midnight. The passengers of the tourship were ready to throw the paralyzed Doctor out of the ship, fearful of the MIdnight entity, but suddenly the Master lunged at them, snarling, "Get back, _all_ of you."

The passengers cowered away, except the blonde woman in the business suit. "Can any of you idiots see it's her?" the Master hissed, jabbing his finger at Sky. "She's manipulating all of you!"

"You're just standing up for your friend," said Sky silkily.

"You're just standing up for your friend," repeated the Doctor rigidly.

"Believe me, blondie, he is _not_ my friend. If anyone gets to kill him, it's me," the Master retorted. He placed his hand on the other Time Lord's shoulder. "No one. Touches. The Doctor."

The passengers looked around at each other nervously. The Master's cold eyes darted to all of them. It looked like the flight attendant, Dee Dee, and maybe Jethro believed him. While they were all distracted, the Master raced forward at Sky. He pushed her backwards towards the base of the transport. The flight attendant, who was standing by the exit, pressed the button to open the door, and the Master forced her outside, into the X-tonic light. Sky's form was vaporized in 6 seconds.

Immediately, the Doctor was broken from his trance. He gasped for breath desperately. "It's gone! It's gone, it's gone, it's gone..."

"I said it was her," said one of the passengers weakly.

The Master turned to look at the Doctor, who was staring at him wide eyed. Afraid.

Once they'd finally been rescued and taken back to Donna and the TARDIS, the Doctor grabbed his arm and squeezed it. "You saved me," he said, his voice wobbling.

"Only 'cause Donna'd tear me to shreds if anything happened to you," said the Master.

"Kos-"

"Don't," said the Master, shoving the Doctor off of him and making for the door. "Just don't."

The Doctor kept his eyes on the marking on the back of the Master's neck as he walked out.

* * *

Then came Davros and the Daleks. Then came all the Doctor's friends, Jack, Martha, Sarah Jane Smith, and of course, Rose.

The Doctor could see the love bleeding from the blonde's big brown eyes and just couldn't force himself to look into them, or she'd know something was wrong. He had feelings for her, once, yes, it was true, but now, no one else could matter to him like that. Not when his soulmate was there, with him. Or even away from him. It was just different for Time Lords.

So, the Doctor sent the Defender of the Earth back to her own, separate dimension with a human, markless version of himself. It's not what she deserved, but it was something, and she was happy.

And then there was the matter of Donna to deal with. "There's never been a human/Time Lord metacrisis before now. And you know why," he said.

"Because there can't be," said the Master and Donna in unison. "I want to stay," Donna added.

The Master could already see what the Doctor was going to do. "Doctor, don't be stupid," he hissed.

"What can I do?! Eh?" the Doctor shouted in frustration. His eyes were red-rimmed. "You know there's no other way. I know it, you know it, she knows it."

"There's always another way. Isn't that what you're always telling me, Doctor?" the Master spat at him mockingly.

"Not this time," said the Doctor hoarsely.

"Please don't do it, don't make me go back," Donna begged, weeping.

"Doctor, we can think of something!" the Master persisted.

"Not in enough time to save her!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"No, _you_ can't. I can," said the Master, hitting something on the TARDIS console. Suddenly, the Doctor's Time Lord sensitivities felt time slow to a halt then freeze around him. Donna was still, stuck in mid-sob. Only he and the Master were active. The Master had inacted a stasis field around the entire TARDIS, that only the two Time Lords were exempt from.

"See that? There's your time, Time Lord," said the Master triumphantly. "The decay of Donna's mind's been halted, for the moment."

"Master, put my ship back the way it was!" the Doctor shouted, a bit of a whine to his voice.

The Master ignored him and began touching things on the controls-the Doctor had no idea why the TARDIS was letting him, wasn't she still on isomorphic control?-running a scan of Donna.

"Okay," said the Master. "I see the problem. Too much Artron energy in her system. We need to find some way to drain it out."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" the Doctor asked dryly.

The Master grinned at him. He made his way around to the other side of the console, and with a little fiddling, found what he was looking for. "Doctor, dear...did you know about this little feature?" He pulled up the entire panel to reveal a gelatinous endoplasmic reticulum of circuitry underneath the controls.

"Is that...the TARDIS's psychic nerve centers?" the Doctor said in shock.

"Yep," said the Master. "This way, the TARDIS and Donna can become one. The ship can get inside her head and soak out the Artron energy. She'll still be part Doctor, unfortunately-"

"I don't understand," the Doctor cut him off. "Why are you doing this?"

The Master looked a bit cross at being cutoff in the middle of showing off. "Because, Doctor. You were going to break your hearts over this woman. And only _I_ get to do that." The Master pounded the stasis control again on the TARDIS's controls, and Donna unfroze. "Oh, please, you have to think of something!" Donna finished, turning to look at them. "Hey, wait, that's not where you were standing just a second ago."

"Sorry, Miss Noble, but we must act very, very quickly," said the Master, taking her by the shoulder and leading her over to the TARDIS's psychic nerve centers. "Now, I'm going to ask you to put your hands in here. It'll feel a bit strange-"

"Oi, I'm not puttin' my hands in some weird gooky stuff just cuz you said so, Evil Space Man!"

The Master sighed. "Donna, just trust me." He grabbed her hands and pushed them into the TARDIS. "Now...close your mind. Focus on where it hurts. Lead the TARDIS to it."

"I...I-I-I-I-..." Finally Donna relaxed, closed her eyes, and let the TARDIS heal her. For a long while, the Doctor watched the two of them, not even daring to breathe.

After what felt like an eternity, Donna's eyes popped open. "She...she fixed me," she said in amazement.

"Donna?" The Doctor came over to her.

"It's gone, Doctor! The pain, it's all gone. Oh my God!" Donna, laughing, enthusiastically threw her arms around his skinny neck and hugged him. "And thank you, oh my God, you beautiful thing!" Donna turned to give the Master a joyous hug as well as a wet kiss on the cheek. "Oh!" She suddenly staggered. "Oh, bloody hell, I feel woozy."

"Massive influx of data into your brain, yes, I'd imagine you'd be feeling some fatigue. Let's get you into bed, Miss Noble, and you can sleep it off."

"No arguments from me, mate," mumbled Donna as the Time Lords led her to one of the TARDIS's guest bedrooms.

Once Donna was fast asleep, the Doctor and the Master went back to the console room. The Doctor was watching the Master. The Master was sealing up the nerve circuit again, and gave the central rotor a considering stroke with his fingertips.

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Thank you. For helping her. You were right, I was being stupid."

"I usually am. You usually are," said the Master, with a teasing smirk.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. He crossed the room and threw his stringy limbs around his old arch nemesis. The Master looked surprised, but cautiously hugged him back. His hand accidently brushed against the mark on the Doctor's neck, and the Doctor shivered involuntarily. He looked up into the Master's eyes.

And suddenly, their lips were pressing together in a long kiss, softly, then desperately. "Doctor," whispered the Master in surprise, breaking the kiss.

The Doctor shushed him, putting his lips back on him. There would be time for talking later.


End file.
